Understanding Chilli Heat: Types, Flavours & the Scoville Scale

Ever wondered what the hottest chilli on earth is?

Here's a Chilli Scoville Chart that ranks some of the most common and popular chillies by their Scoville Heat Units (SHU) — a measure of spiciness based on capsaicin content which is the key compound, that causes the burning sensation in chilli. Rule of thumb, the smaller the chilli pepper, the hotter the heat!

The Scoville Scale was created by Wilbur Scoville in 1912.

🌶️ Chilli Scoville Heat Scale

🌶️ Common Chilli Types & Their Heat Levels

1. Bell Pepper (0 SHU)
Sweet and crunchy with no heat. Often used in salads, stir-fries, and roasting.

2. Banana Pepper (100–500 SHU)
Mild, tangy, and slightly sweet. Great for pickling or stuffing.

3. Poblano (1,000–2,000 SHU)
Mild and earthy. Often roasted or used in Mexican dishes like chile relleno.

4. Jalapeño (2,500–8,000 SHU)
Medium heat with bright, green flavour. Popular in salsas, nachos, and poppers.

5. Serrano (10,000–23,000 SHU)
Hotter than jalapeños. Crisp and spicy, used in fresh salsas and hot sauces.

6. Cayenne (30,000–50,000 SHU)
Thin, red and fiery. Commonly dried and ground into powder.

7. Bird’s Eye (50,000–100,000 SHU)
Small but very hot. Used widely in Southeast Asian cooking.

8. Scotch Bonnet (100,000–350,000 SHU)
Fruity, sweet, and fiercely hot. A Caribbean staple, especially in jerk seasoning and hot sauces.

9. Habanero (100,000–350,000 SHU)
Fruity and floral with intense heat. Popular in Caribbean cuisine.

10. Ghost Pepper / Bhut Jolokia (800,000–1,041,000 SHU)
Extreme heat. Used in very spicy sauces and for serious chilli lovers only.

11. Trinidad Scorpion (1,200,000–2,000,000 SHU)
Insanely hot with a stinging burn (like a scorpion’s tail!). Slightly fruity flavour, often used in extreme hot sauces.

12. Carolina Reaper (1,400,000–2,200,000 SHU)
The world’s hottest chilli (as of now). Sweet and fruity taste... followed by a blazing burn.

🔥 Fun Fact!

Wondering where Sunghue's 5 heat lelvels sit on the scoville scaly? Crafter for rich flavour , not just fiery spice. At Sunghue Chilli Sauce, our goal has always been flavour first, not just fire. While we love a good kick, our sauces are carefully crafted to enhance your food—not overpower it.

So where do our sauces sit on the Scoville Scale?

🌶️ Mild: 10,000–25,000 SHU
(A gentle heat, similar to a jalapeno—perfect for flavour without the burn)

🌶️🌶️ Extra Hot & Super Hot (Levels 1–3): 30,000–45,000 SHU
(A bold heat kick, comparable to tabasco—great for barbecue meats and stir-fries)

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Devilish & Super Devilish (Levels 4 & 5): 100,000+ SHU
(Intensely spicy—on par with Scotch Bonnet—but still balanced with rich, deep flavour)

💬 Our sauces may not top the Scoville charts, but they’re definitely at the top of the flavour charts!

References

• Bosland, P. W., & DeWitt, D. (2009). The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking. Timber Press.

• New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute. (n.d.). Chile Pepper Heat Levels. Retrieved July 4, 2025, from https://cpi.nmsu.edu/chile-pepper-institute/

• Guinness World Records. (n.d.). Hottest chili pepper. Retrieved July 4, 2025, from https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/hottest-chili

• Scoville, W. L. (1912). Note on Capsaicin. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 1(5), 453–454.